System and method for effectively populating a mesh network model

• US 8,792,387 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2009
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Georgis, Nikolaos, Zhou, Yi, Carpio, Fredrik
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Application Number:
  US12/381,196
• Publication Number:
  US 20100226279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,968 Days
• Field of Search: 370/230, 370/236, 370/254, 370/255, 370/328, 370/332, 370/396, 370/400, 370/406
• US Class Current: 370/255
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A system and method for populating a mesh network model includes peer devices that are configured to transmit peer device signals by utilizing a wireless broadcasting procedure. Mobile devices wirelessly detect the peer device signals to produce wireless scan data corresponding to the peer devices. A location server may then receive the wireless scan data for performing a location estimation calculation procedure with the wireless scan data to thereby determine location coordinates for effectively populating the mesh network model.

Claims

1. A system for populating a mesh network model, comprising:

a plurality of peer devices configured to transmit peer device signals by utilizing a wireless broadcasting procedure, wherein said plurality of peer devices includes wireless access points; and

a plurality of mobile devices configured to wirelessly detect said peer device signals to produce wireless scan data corresponding to each of said plurality of peer devices, wherein

said mesh network model is populated with location coordinates of said plurality of peer devices and said plurality of mobile devices by analyzing said wireless scan data, and wherein

a first mobile device of said plurality of mobile devices utilizes said mesh network model to locate said first mobile device with reference to said location coordinates of said plurality of peer devices from said mesh network model, wherein said first mobile device is located based on location of an intervening mobile device along a signal path between said first mobile device and a second mobile device of said plurality of mobile devices, wherein location of said second mobile device is known.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a location server configured to receive said wireless scan data, said location server performing a location estimation calculation procedure based on said wireless scan data to determine said location coordinates for populating said mesh network model.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said mesh network model is provided by said location server to said plurality of mobile devices and said plurality of peer devices to perform device location procedures with reference to said location coordinates from said mesh network model.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein network entities from said mesh network model include said plurality of mobile devices, said plurality of peer devices, and said wireless access points.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a sequential device location procedure is performed to sequentially locate a series of intervening mobile devices between said first mobile device with an unknown location and said second mobile device with a known location, said sequential device location procedure sequentially determining respective device locations of said intervening mobile devices proceeding from said first mobile device to said second mobile device until said second mobile device is located.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of mobile devices and said plurality of peer devices are one or more of:

a laptop computer device, a personal digital assistant, or a cellular telephone.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless scan data comprises device identifiers and signal strengths for said plurality of peer devices.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of mobile devices automatically captures said wireless scan data without assistance from device users.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a location server configured to perform a location estimation calculation procedure by performing triangulation procedures based on said wireless scan data.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a location server configured to perform a location estimation calculation procedure by utilizing probabilistic relaxation techniques based on said wireless scan data.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said mesh network model comprises mobile device location information for said plurality of mobile devices, peer device location information for said plurality of peer devices, and access point location information for said wireless access points.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of mobile devices automatically and continuously scan said peer device signals to produce and store said wireless scan data.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said wireless scan data comprises signal detection indicators for respective ones of said peer device signals, signal strengths of said peer device signals, signal-to-noise values of said peer devices signals, signal quality characteristics of said peer device signals, signal delays of said peer device signals, and said location coordinates of said plurality of peer devices.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of mobile devices transmits said wireless scan data to a location server by utilizing wireless transmission techniques.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said location server determines that an amount of said wireless scan data received from said plurality of mobile device exceeds a threshold value before performing a location estimation calculation procedure.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said location server populates or updates said mesh network model based upon said location coordinates calculated from said wireless scan data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said location server sends updated versions of said mesh network model to said plurality of mobile devices.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said plurality of mobile devices and said plurality of peer devices utilize said updated versions of said mesh network model for performing device location procedures.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of mobile devices, said plurality of peer devices, and a location server communicate on a continuous basis to populate and update said mesh network model.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of mobile devices performs a wireless scanning procedure to collect said peer device signals for determining a current location for a newly-installed or relocated one of said wireless access points.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein said second mobile device is not within a transmission range of an unlocated wireless access point and said first mobile device is within said transmission range, wherein said first mobile device performs a wireless scanning procedure after being located to collect said peer device signals from said unlocated wireless access point, wherein a location server determines a current location for said unlocated wireless access point.

22. A method for populating a mesh network model, comprising:

transmitting peer device signals from a plurality of peer devices by utilizing a wireless broadcasting procedure, wherein said plurality of peer devices includes wireless access points;

utilizing a plurality of mobile devices for wirelessly detecting said peer device signals to produce wireless scan data corresponding to each of said plurality of peer devices; and

populating said mesh network model with location coordinates of said plurality of peer devices and said plurality of mobile devices by analyzing said wireless scan data, wherein

a first mobile device of said plurality of mobile devices utilizes said mesh network model to locate said first mobile device with reference to said location coordinates of said plurality of peer devices from said mesh network model, wherein said first mobile device is located based on location of an intervening mobile device along a signal path between said first mobile device and a second mobile device of said plurality of mobile devices, wherein location of said second mobile device is known.